Indicator for musical compositions



Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" Agostino C. Montardo,Boston,

Mass., assignor of fifty-one per cent to Nazzareno F. Cedrone,

Boston, Mass.

Application November 9, 1938, Serial No. 239,644

10 Claims.

My invention relates to indicator apparatus, and particularly toapparatus for indicating characters used in music.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus by means of which,notes, rests signatures and bars may be indicated in proper relation toa staff, and of the proper value.

A second object is to provide such apparatus with means for transposinga composition thus indicated, with facility and without change in theoriginal set up other than signatures and Where necessary, accidentals.

My invention consists in the novel combination of elements andmechanism, coordinated to indicate the music characters in respectiveposition and of the proper values, relative to a plurality of staves,each relating to a harmonic or contrapuntal part in a composition, thestaves being movable relative to the indicator mechanism, fortransposing the entire composition to any key subject to the foregoingchanges.

It is frequently found in composing or harmonizing a composition bydirect recording on music manuscript, that it is often necessary tochange a note or phrase, entailing erasure or even rewriting aconsiderable portion. With my apparatus a faulty note or phrase may becorrected by resetting the particular character or characters, withoutaffecting the rest of the composition.

When a composition has been indicated in the apparatus, it may then berecorded on music manuscript, and terms of musical expression added.

In the accompanying specification and claims and the drawing forming apart thereof, I have described and illustrated one embodiment of myinvention, but do not confine myself to the particular form disclosed,as modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan of my apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation substantially on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation, a portion of the casing beingremoved.

Fig. 4 is a development of a portion of the first five indicator bandsof one indicator unit.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragment in section showing one unit and operatingmeans.

Referring to the drawing,

The apparatus comprises a casing Ill enclosing the indicator mechanism.The casing is provided with a cover formed with a frame I I in which issecured a transparent laminar 2, on

which is inscribed a plurality of line series, extending transversely,and representing staves l4, and ledger lines above and below each staff,|5, I6. The staves may be differentiated from the ledger linespreferably by different weight of lines, or by colors or other suitablemeans. The cover is slidable laterally in guides secured to the casing.The function of the sliding cover will be presently explained.

Within the casing, is mounted a plurality of independent indicator unitsfor each line series, each indicator unit comprising a pair of drums2|], 2|, rigid with gears 22, 23, and rotatable on respective shafts 24,25, common to all units of a series and rigid transversely with thecasing sides. Secured at either end to the drums is a band 26, each bandbeing inscribed with a plurality of musical characters. Referring toFig. 4, the first band of each series of units a, is inscribed with theclefs; the second b with the signatures, the third with rhythm, and thesucceeding bands, d, e, etc., for the balance of each series of units,are inscribed with notes and rests of different values together withaccidentals, each band being alike. The bands connecting each pair ofdrums, are supported between the drums by bridges l3 which insure thatthe characters on each band shall pass close under each staff and bevisible through the laminar l2, when moved into proper relation to thestaff, the characters on all bands being so spaced, that none is visibleuntil moved relative to the staff, as will be presently explained.

I have indicated on the drawing four series of lines corresponding tothe four parts of harmony, and each series is provided with a separateseries of indicator units, each series being provided with independentmeans for rotating the drums of each unit, independent of any other unitas I will now explain.

Within the casing, and slidable transversely on the several shafts 3|,32, is a carrier 3|), in which are mounted the gears 37, 38, slidablysecured to respective shafts 3|, 32, by means of keys in the gears,engaging splines in the said shafts. These shafts are movably secured at33, 34 in the sides of the casing, buttons 35, 36 being rigid withrespective shafts, and providing means for rotating respective shaftsand gears. The gears 31, 38 respectively mesh with idler pinions 39, 40which in turn mesh with gears 22, 23 rigid with respective drums 21!,2|. The several gears 31, 38 are adapted to engage with correspondingpinions in all units of respective series, and the carrier 30, ismovable transversely of the apparatus in the following manner to enablethe gears 31, 38 to function. The bearings 33, 34 in the sides of thecasing are slightly elongated, and the carrier may be depressed todisengage from one corresponding unit of each series and movedtransversely to engage corresponding pinions in each series of drums, asmay be required.

I have shown a preferred means for this operation'as will now bedescribed. Within the casin at front and back are duplicate racks 41,engaging which are the pinions 42, slidably secured to the shaft 43extending through projections near the ends of the carrier 30, andslidable therein and in the front and back of the casing Ill. The shaft43 is provided with conical enlargements, adapted to engage shelves fromthe projections noted as at 45, when the shaft is axially pressedagainst the resistance of the spring 45, the button 41 rigid with theshaft providing means for moving the shaft axially, and also forrotating the shaft. As the shaft is inwardly pressed, the gears 31, 38are disengaged from corresponding pinions, and by rotation of the shaft43, the pinions 52, engaging the rack -3 l operate to move the carrierwith the several pairs of gears 3'5, 38 to register with a succeedingset of corresponding units in each series. The release of the button 41,and the action of the spring 46 withdraws the shaft 43 to initialposition, and the carrier rises under the action of the springs 48 toengage the gears 31, 38 with corresponding idler .pinions.

Returning to the cover.

Extending transversely in the frame II, and above the laminar B2, areconnecting bars 59. These are positioned between the staves to present aview of each staff and ledger lines.

These bars together with the front and back members of the frame, I laand I lb, are slotted in contiguous edges as at and slidable in theseslots are a plurality of wires for each staff, as at 52, adapted toextend between contiguous slots and to be slidable therein to functionas bars for separating measures.

The apparatus is operated in the following manner. With the carrier inposition in which the gears carried thereby are engaged with the firstunit of each series of indicators, the respective buttons 35 are rotatedto wind the bands on drums 20 until the required clef is visible throughthe laminar in proper relation to respective staves.

The carrier is then moved as hereinbefore explained to engage the nextunit of each series, and the signatures moved into place. The operationis repeated for the tempo, and thereafter the notes of the melody withrests and spaced measures, are indicated on the upper series. When theline is complete the carrier is returned to initial position andharmonic or contrapuntal parts are indicated on the remaining series.Should a note be preceded by an accidental, the

particular accidental will be moved into position and the note on thefollowing unit will be moved into place.

In transposing a composition, the cover ismoved laterally to indicatethe composition in .changed relation to the staves, the signature willbe changed and any accidentals in the original corrected by propermanipulation of the particular unit on which the accidental appeared.

In transposing from major or minor keys, two units will also be requiredwhen an accidental is inserted in the transposed composition.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus for indicating a musical composition comprising acasing; indicator mechanism supported within the casing; a cover to thecasing having a transparent face inscribed with a plurality of staves;means for operating the indicator mechanism in relation to the staves,to indicate musical characters of different values, visible through thecover face, in relative position tothe staves.

2. In an apparatus of the character described in claim 1, the indicatormechanism including indicator units for each staff, suitably inscribedand independently movable relative to respective staves.

3. In an apparatus of the character described in claim 1, the indicatormechanism including a plurality of indicator units for each staff,suitably inscribed and independently movable relative to respectivestaves.

4. In an apparatus of the character described in claim 1, the indicatormechanism including a plurality of indicator units for each staff,suitably inscribed and independently movable relative to respectivestaves, each unit including a pair of drums; a band secured at oppositeends to each drum of a pair, and on which the musical characters areinscribed; and means for rotating the drums to wind the band to indicateparticular characters in proper relation to the particular staff.

5. In an apparatus of the character described in claim 1, the indicatormechanism including a plurality of indicator units for each staff,independently movable relative to respective staves, each unit includinga pair of drums rotatable on separate transverse shafts rigid withcasing and common to all corresponding drums of a series; a band securedat opposite ends to each drum of a pair, inscribed with a plurality ofmusical characters; and means for rotating the drums to wind the band toindicate particular characters in proper relation to the particularstaff.

6. In an apparatus of the character described in claim 1, the meansincluding a plurality of transverse shafts, rotatable through oppositesides of the casing, and in operative relation to respective indicatorunit series; a gear slidably mounted on eachshaft; means for moving thegears axially to engage respective indicator units; and means forrotating the shafts and gears independently to any engaged unit.

7. In an apparatus of the character described in claim 1, the meansincluding a plurality of transverse shafts, rotatable through oppositesides of the casing, and in operative relation to respective indicatorunit series; a carrier movable laterally and slidably on shafts; a gearslidably mounted on each shaft and movably axially with the carrier;means operative to engage and disengage the sliding gears withrespective corresponding indicator units of each series.

8. In an apparatus for indicating a musical composition, and having acasing, and indicating mechanism operatively mounted therein, a coverfor the casing comprising a frame; a transparent laminar mounted in theframe; a plurality of line series representing staves with ledger lines,inscribed on the laminar in relation to the indicator mechanism suchthat the indicated characters may be visible in musical relation torespective staves.

9. In an apparatus of the character described in claim 8, the coverbeing slidable laterally relative to the casing, to

shift the staff lines relative to the indicator mechanism.

10. In an apparatus in claim 8, the cover of the character describedframe being formed with 5 transverse bars above the laminar, thetransverse frame members and the bars having channels extending alongtheir e dges, the bars and frame members forming openings through whichthe several line series are visible; a plurality of pins extendingacross each opening and engaging respective channels, and movabletransversely above respective line series.

AGOS'IINO C. MONTARDO.

